GM: BrianDate: 06/05/02 PF
Following the directions provided on a previous visit to Metellinum, a party returned prepared to entreat with the vampiric lord of the city in exchange for the inks and other materials needed to restore the archives of Ariminium. After a brief, violent reception, the party was greeted by Lord Edward Carrell who offered them the opportunity to partake in three trials in exchange for the materials they sought, as well as other boons the lord offered. The party quickly completed the first trial, solving a puzzle to earn the requested materials. The second trial was another puzzle which proved more challenging but was ultimately bested and the party was rewarded with a substantial amount of loot from the Lord's vast wealth. The third trial promised combat with the Lord's son and his retinue in exchange for even greater wealth and unique "gifts" only an undead lord can provide. Though tempted, the party ultimately decided to quite while ahead and returned to Ariminium, leaving the third trial to be completed by another group of adventurers seeking wealth, glory, and necrotic power.
Experience: 400xp/player
Gold: 81gp
| Item | Level | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Alchemical Gauntlet | 1 | 10gp |
| Hand of the Mage | 2 | 30gp |
| Lock (average) | 3 | 15gp |
| Striking Rune | 4 | 65gp |
| Slick Rune | 5 | 45gp |
| Item | Level | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Comprehension Elixir (lesser) | 2 | 7gp |
| Bronze Bull Pendant | 2 | 7gp |
| Colorful Coating (green) | 3 | 10gp |
| Colorful Coating (orange) | 3 | 12gp |
| Darkvision Elixir (moderate) | 4 | 11gp |
Total Value: 293gp (55gp 6sp/player)
GM: AntDate: 04/24/02 PF
At the behest of Captain Seneral, the party gathered in Helleron to aid the legion in laying siege to Castle Helleron in hopes of finally driving the Sanctarum tribe from the city. Taking advantage of the chaos created by the Legion’s charge, the party made their way into the castle and secured the great hall. Within, they recruited the assistance of a Hakzin named Horse and Gardens who agreed to break the magical seals protecting the ritual chamber so the party could enter and free the tribe from their current leader, Savage Locust. Before she could break the seal, however, the party had to scavenge materials from across the castle, dealing with both a vengeful spirit and several more Hakzin in their search.
After Horse and Gardens broke the seal, the party entered the ritual chamber within the castle’s chapel and fought Savage Locust and her loyal thralls. Throughout the fight, Savage Locust called upon hellish forces to empower her minions and even bring them back from death, seemingly drawing her powers from a trio of floating obsidian stones. Upon her death, her minions vanished in swirls of red and an obelisk made of the same obsidian material and etched with Cthonic text burst from her chest. Making contact with the object in an attempt to take a rubbing of the carvings, Ianthésmyne disappeared in a swirl of red energy. Despite their injuries, the rest of the party leapt after Myne, finding themselves in a chapel similar to the one they left but bathed in red light filtering through the windows. Within the chapel was a goat-like demon who briefly entertained a conversation with Eleanor before combat broke out. Not fully recovered from the fight with Savage Locust, the party struggled against the demon, doing their best to hold out for a chance to escape. Mercifully, the doors to chapel began glowing with golden light after a short time and the party could hear the voice of Horse and Gardens calling them to flee while she holds open the way back. Though the party managed to escape the demon, the black obelisk remains in the heart of Castle Helleron, perhaps awaiting a more prepared group of heroes to purge it once and for all.
Returning to Captain Seneral, the party reported their success and the Legion began preparations for the next steps of restoring the city. In the wake of Savage Locust’s death, Horse and Gardens took command of the Sanctarum tribe and promised to return them to their traditional ways of life out on the plains.
On the return to Ariminium, the party heard rumors from local farmers:
Experience: 380xp/player
Gold: 47gp
| Item | Level | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Trusty Helmet | 2 | 30gp |
| Staff of Fire | 3 | 60gp |
| Item | Level | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Bestial Mutagen (lesser) | 1 | 4 |
Total Value: 141gp (35gp 2sp 5cp/player)
GM: BrianLaunch Date: 04/07/02 PF
Return Date: 04/17/02 PF
The party ventured out along the old cobbled road to the north in search of the city of Mettelinum and its archives. After two full days of travel, the party encountered Gatius, an orc who served Isael during the reckoning, camping in the shadow of a solitary tree in the expansive planes. After The Wall agreed to and won a duel against the veteran, the party was granted access to his camp for the night.
The next day, the party stumbled across a trail branching off the main road leading to a heavily fortified farmstead. Avoiding the numerous pit traps along the trail, the party approached the farmstead and were greeted by the husband and wife who live there. While the couple was reluctant to grant entry to strangers, they shared rumors of goings on in the north and promised to open their gates to travelers should the party deal with a pair of Tatzlwyrms who had been terrorizing the area. The party agreed to these terms before returning to the main road and continuing on their way. After another day of travel, the party found the Tatzlwyrms’ lair and defeated them, fulfilling their end of the deal.
Early in the fifth day of the journey, the skies ahead filled with thick, dark clouds appearing like a wall on the horizon. Travel onwards lead into raging blizzards and snow-covered wastes. Knowing Mettelinum was near, the party pushed on despite the cold, their tenacity quickly rewarded by the sight of walls and ruined buildings in the distance. Making their way into the ruined city, rent asunder by a vast mountain range carving through its center, the party was ambushed by an undead butler who preferred to speak on behalf of the Lord of the city. The butler, easily identified as a vampire, told the party to return to the city prepared to offer themselves to the Lord of Mettelinum and in exchange they may find he is amicable enough to part with some of the contents of his sanctum (the archives the party initially set out to find). He then ushered the party out of the city, revealing that his presence was holding dozens of other much hungrier undead at bay.
Experience: 260xp/player
Gold: 17gp
| Item | Level | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Pieces of Bastion Plate | 2 | 33gp |
| Item | Level | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Eagle Eye Elixir (lesser) | 1 | 4gp |
| Scroll of 1st-rank Gust of Wind | 1 | 4gp |
Total Value: 58gp
GM: BrianLaunch Date: 03/??/02 PF
Return Date: 04/04/02 PF
Responding to a request for aid from Captain Senarel, acting commander of the Legion presence in Helleron and leader of the efforts to reclaim the city, the party arrived in Helleron on 04/01/02 PF. The party met up with Sergeant Pallia in the southeastern quarter of the city where they were instructed to infiltrate an armory and foundry held by the Sanctarum Hakzin tribe in an attempt to reclaim the Everburning Flame within.
The party successfully broke through the Sanctarum’s defenses and fought their way through several Hakzin guards to reach the foundry’s heart. The Hakzin fought with a violent fervor, the result of regular consumption of demonic blood that had turned them into loyal thralls with no sense of self-preservation. At the foundry’s heart, the party encountered Irnonak, right hand of the demon lord of Helleron and the priest maintaining the Everburning Flame within the armory. After defeating Irnonak, the party was able to claim the Everburning Flame and narrowly escape the armory as it collapsed around them.
Experience: 480xp/player
Gold: 85gp
| Item | Level | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Half-Plate | 1 | 18gp |
| Silver Shield (low-grade) | 2 | 34gp |
| Flaming Star | 3 | 55gp |
| Staff of Fire | 3 | 60gp |
| Item | Level | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Blight Bomb (lesser) | 1 | 3gp |
| Spear Frog Poison | 1 | 3gp |
| Savior Spike | 2 | 7gp |
Total Value: 265gp (44gp 1sp 6cp/player + 4cp)
